Information Technology (IT) is one of the evolving sciences of engineering expertise. This technology makes use of information to improve performance and efficiency, and accelerate the pace of work, in almost every walk of life. Nowadays doctors, engineers, architects, people associated with media, designers, traders, bankers, and even individuals of moderate households are exposed to IT in some way or the other. Basically, IT can be divided into two categories- hard ware and soft ware. The term hard ware is given to the various visible component parts of this technology including chips, monitor, disc drives, networking equipment, CPU etc, whereas, those written instruction which are used to operate hard wares are titled soft ware. These instructions or programs are written through various programming languages like, Java, Visual Be, Visual C etc.

IT is an extremely vast field, which possesses adequate and satisfactory employment opportunities for many. However, understanding the requirements of this field, and working hard to achieve professional excellence is an inevitable pre requisite. Now the question raises that, can anyone who knows how to operate computer, attain expertise in this area? If yes, then what should be the nature and extent of this proficiency? Can IT help anyone in heading towards a better career? In order to answer these questions, we need to divide IT in four categories, based on the level of knowledge in this field.

1.   User Level IT: Many of us use computer for net surfing, checking e-mails or chatting. We sometimes type a letter or an application on a word processor, or prepare a bill or a presentation on some other program. This is termed as User Level IT. We encounter this degree of know-how quite frequently. Even though this level of usage does not form a career, it can extend enormous help in the advancement of any chosen career option.

2.   Support Level IT: Support level IT experts are engaged in mediocre networking, operating systems support and running of different applications, in various institutions. In our country, maximum IT specialists that is around 70% are associated with Support Level IT.

3.   High Level Development Information Technology: Specialists associated with this category, design different programs of small or full-size magnitude. Besides, web programming is also done by experts belonging to this level of IT knowledge. Apart from developing websites, they also prepare financial and inventory management applications.

4.   Core Level Development Information Technology: These IT specialists are unsurpassed, as far as professional excellence and expertise is concern. They are involved in component programming, hard ware integration programming, core level programming, data base management, and application soft ware development from the scratch. Besides, these experts are also engaged in research.

Acquiring skills in IT not only assists in boosting one’s career pertaining to this field, but even if you specialize in some other profession like, civil engineering, accountancy etc, then this knowledge will be useful in those areas as well, and due to the fact of being associated with two different bodies of knowledge, one may get an edge in this age of intense professional competition.